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Busy Part Deux.

Or more like Twenty-Deux.

Yes, the blog is quiet again. I’m finishing Clay very soon (no, for real this time – I have two chapters left. You beta readers are forewarned). I had to take a minor break on it because I was editing THE AWESOME, which is such a fun project. I spend my entire time laughing while I’m writing, and because of it, it comes really fast. It’s one of those books that falls from the fingers. I get to flex some comedy muscles in the story, and while the plot isn’t what I’d call super revolutionary, I’m really proud of the narrative voice and the characters. Also, it’s deeper than it looks on the surface. I play with gender roles, burgeoning female sexuality, and societal slut shaming. Of course, I address them in my own weird way, but they’re there.

There’s also boy kissing. Gross, huh?

A lot has happened since my last blog post, and I suppose I could go back and give my take on the Boston bombings and all that transpired in my dear old state, but instead I think I’ll bullet a few things that amuse me and/or have made my brain twitch. The news has been depressing lately. I don’t want to contribute to depressing.

Without further ado:

I went to see Great Big Sea last week at the Wilbur Theater in Boston. A great show at a great venue. The seats are actually comfortable at the Wilbur (ARE YOU LISTENING, ORPHEUM?) and every ticket assures you a perfect, close view of the stage. I’d strongly recommend any Boston native or visitor to consider the Wilbur in your next pass through town. Also, for anyone who doesn’t know GBS, might I recommend some of THIS or THIS to get you acclimated? They’re Irish pubby kinda stuff, but they also do some killer pop music and ballads.

I’m hoping y’all heard about the deranged sorority girl email. Basicially, some chick named Rebecca Martinson went uber psycho bitch on her sorority mates in a brilliant display of profanity and bullying. And by brilliant, I do mean that this young lady is probably not fit for society any time soon. Her Twitter feed indicated she was a racist, hated fats and gays, and that she liked to be the meat in boy sandwiches (which hey, all the power to you if you like getting spit-roasted, but that might not be something you want on your Twitter feed, chick. YOUR PARENTS MIGHT SEE THAT.) Anyway, in the wake of her tantrum, a couple of things happened. One, she had to tender her resignation to Gamma Whamma Ding Dong. Two, she was immortalized brilliantly on Funny or Die.

I read a wonderful book y’all should scoop. CODE NAME VERITY (incidentally put out by the same publisher as UNLEASHED!) It’s a heart-stabbing story about two WW2 era girls: an English female pilot and her best friend, a code-writer who’s captured by the Nazis. This is not the most cheerful book on the planet, but it’s enthralling and beautifully written. Thank you, Lauren, for another solid recommendation!

My new favorite show: Archer. It’s on Netflix. Dear God, if you haven’t seen it, watch it. It is hysterical. SPLOOSH.

Hi! I’m Hillary.

My YA debut MARY: The Summoning, a YA Horror retelling of the Bloody Mary myth, sold at auction to Hyperion and hit number two on the New York Times e-book bestseller list. I've also published THE AWESOME with Ravenstone under the name Eva Darrows, which received starred reviews in both Kirkus and PW.

My next three publications are an adult horror novel in the GODS & MONSTERS series for Solaris, due out in December of 2016. Spring of 2017 will see the YA contemporary DEAD LITTLE MEAN GIRL under the name Eva Darrows published through Harlequin Teen. Fall of 2017 sees the YA horror THE WAGON WITCH'S APPRENTICE under Hillary Monahan through Delacorte/Random House.